Student Profile
Jeromie Allen
I am from Stewartsville, Mo., a small town with a population of 759 in the northwest corner of the state.
I came to Mizzou after I was elected as the State FFA President in 2006. As a result, MU offered me a state officer scholarship and made me feel right at home, which made a difference in my decision on which college to attend.
I chose agribusiness management as my major because to me, agriculture is a way of life and something that I enjoy. With this major I will be able to work within the industry on a day-to-day basis. Hence, although I don't plan to work on a farm I can keep connected to my roots in rural and farm communities.
FFA is an agricultural-based organization and was founded in 1928. The FFA changed its name from "Future Farmers of America" to "The National FFA Organization" in 1988 in order to appeal to a broader range of high school student, not just those with an agricultural background.
Since 1928, the FFA has grown and developed into an amazing organization promoting premier leadership, personal growth and career success to student and members from diverse backgrounds. Nationwide, there are now more than 500,000 members. In Missouri alone there are more than 24,100 members.
I served as State President last year and on the 2006-2007 state officer team. My duties last year allowed me to travel around the state performing workshops, delivering speeches, meeting FFA members and helping others.
I am currently serving as the Missouri FFA Association Past State President. In this position, I am helping the officer team as an adviser as well as speaking on behalf of the Missouri FFA Association at banquets, FFA ceremonies and other FFA events.
I got involved in FFA mainly a result of one of my teachers who is a great adviser and connects well with students. He is truly a person who cares about the future of students and wants them to succeed. Ron Alden, my ag adviser, inspired me to become a state officer. I made that one of my goals, stayed involved and looked for ways to improve myself and those around me through the FFA.
FFA allowed me to build a network of people around the country who will benefit me for the rest of my life, as well as helping me develop skills that I use every day. Through my network I was able to attain this summer an internship position at Monsanto Company in Omaha. Balancing my FFA duties and college is not easy task. I have to completely plan every day. As a result, I have learned to become very organized.
Having the extra duties is something I enjoy because it drives me to accomplish my goals as well as help other people develop along the way. It is worth every second of my time spent; whether it's driving four hours to speak or just five minutes to talk with FFA members, I am benefiting as well as helping others realize their potential. The FFA has given me several skills which are very valuable such as a work ethic, public speaking, networking and determination.
FFA has been the main influence on my decision to major in agribusiness management. Growing up on a farm made me want to keep my agricultural background, but I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted to do with the rest of my life until FFA introduced me to all of the opportunities the agricultural industry has to offer. Although farming is something I truly enjoy, I have plans to become a lawyer with an emphasis on agriculture.
Ten years from now, I see myself as an agriculture-based lawyer. I plan to use my law degree to help those who are a vital part of the agriculture industry. I want to work as a corporate lawyer for a while and eventually establish my own firm, helping fight for the rights of farmers and their families.
My degree in agribusiness management will be most valuable to me because agriculture producers will see I'm not just a lawyer from the city; they will know I am just like them—believing in the future of agriculture.
